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Throughout WOII, I started to realise that design is not just about making something look visually nice. At first, I mainly focused on things like colors, layout, and making everything look clean. But over time, I began to understand that design is actually more about how people interpret what we create.

When we learned about semiotics and postmodernism, I found it quite confusing at the beginning. However, as I slowly understood it, I realised that a single visual can have different meanings depending on who is looking at it. This made me more aware of the decisions I make in my designs, instead of just choosing what looks good.

I can also see this change in my studio work. I’ve become more open to experimenting with layouts and compositions, even if they are not perfectly clean or structured. Before this, I always thought good design had to be neat and simple, but now I understand that sometimes a more expressive or even slightly chaotic design can communicate better.

For me, WOII didn’t just teach new skills, but it changed the way I think about design. Now, I pay more attention to meaning, context, and how others might interpret my work, and I think this will really help me moving forward.

In today’s session, I learned about postmodernism and how it challenges the strict rules of modernist design. One idea that stood out to me is how postmodernism focuses on diversity, fragmentation, and individual expression instead of just simplicity and functionality. This made me realise that design does not always need to be clean or perfect, but it can also be expressive and more personal. This can be seen in the image above, which clearly shows the difference between modern and postmodern design, where postmodernism appears more playful, expressive, and less focused on functionality.

Outside the classroom, I can see how postmodernism is used in real life, especially in advertising and social media. Many brands today use bold colors, unusual layouts, and eye-catching visuals to stand out. For example, sports advertisements often focus more on energy, movement, and lifestyle rather than just showing the product clearly. This makes the design feel more engaging and relatable to the audience. These examples show how modern advertisements use bold visuals and dynamic composition to create a strong emotional impact.

In my own poster design of the red sports shoes, I tried to apply these ideas by using bright colors and a dynamic layout to express speed and energy. Instead of keeping the design simple, I used overlapping elements and different angles, which reflects fragmentation. I also focused more on how the design feels rather than just how it functions, which connects to the idea of subjectivity. This can be seen in my poster, where the composition creates a strong sense of movement and visual impact.

Overall, this session helped me understand that design is constantly evolving and influenced by cultural trends. As a design student, I think it is important to not only follow design principles but also adapt to new ideas and experiment with more expressive approaches in real-world contexts.

Refrence : Kaplan, A.M. and Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media. Business Horizons, 53(1), pp.59–68. Tuten, T.L. and Solomon, M.R. (2017). Social Media Marketing. London: Sage.

Walking around the city, I noticed that most people use MRT or buses instead of owning cars. At first I thought it was just personal preference, but after learning about cultural materialism, I realized it’s actually influenced by things like cost, limited space, and how the city is planned. This shows how material realities can shape everyday behavior, not just personal choices. It made me understand that culture is influenced by real-life conditions such as economy, environment, and resources.

For our project, we created an advertisement based on Wakanda, focusing on medication. We chose the Kimoyo Beads, which are advanced wearable technology that can heal injuries and monitor health in real time. Through this, I started to understand how Wakanda’s culture is shaped by its material conditions, especially its access to Vibranium. Because of this powerful resource, they are able to develop highly advanced medical technology, which influences how people treat health and injuries. Our moodboard also shows a mix of traditional African culture and futuristic design, highlighting how their resources and technology shape their overall lifestyle and culture.

This is our final advertisement for Kimoyo Beads from Wakanda. In this poster, we focus on showing the product in a simple and clean way so it looks more premium and high-tech. The black and purple colors give a futuristic feeling and represent advanced technology. Kimoyo Beads is shown as a wearable device that is practical and can be used in daily life, especially for healing injuries and tracking health conditions. Through this ad, we want to show that in Wakanda, technology is already part of everyday life, especially in healthcare. This made me realize that design is not only about making something look good, but also about communicating how people live and interact with technology in their environment

Refrence : Harris, M. (1979). Cultural Materialism: The Struggle for a Science of Culture. Design as communication: Exploring the validity and utility of relating intention to interpretation. ScienceDirect.

week 4-5

Week 4 and Week 5 felt very connected to me. In Week 4, my group tried to categorise objects using the spectrum Function and Identity, and Organic and Artificial. At first it seemed simple, but once we started discussing, I realised that most objects do not fully belong to only one side.

Some objects that look purely functional actually reflect identity and personal taste. For example, something as simple as a cap or a bag can communicate lifestyle and individuality, not just use. The same goes for materials. Something that looks artificial can still feel organic because of its texture, imperfections, or the way it was produced. This made me understand that categorising is not about being correct, but about how we interpret meaning and relationships between objects.

During Week 5, I applied this way of thinking during the field trip. I paid closer attention to medium, process, and craftsmanship. Two installations stood out to me. The first was the hanging textile piece. You could clearly see the knitting and weaving process, which made the work feel very handmade and time consuming. The texture, colour variation, and visible stitching showed the presence of the maker. It looked like an everyday object but enlarged and suspended in space, which changed its original function completely. Instead of being something wearable or practical, it became something spatial and sculptural. For me, this connects to the idea of transformation, where textile shifts from functional material into expressive installation.

The second was the woven light installation. The material felt natural and organic, almost like a cocoon, but it was placed within an industrial metal structure. The contrast between the soft woven form and the rigid artificial frame made the work more powerful. When the light turned on, the woven surface became warmer and more transparent, creating a different atmosphere in the space. It was not only about the object itself, but also about how it interacted with the surrounding structure and environment. . Through these two weeks, I started to slow down and think more deeply about why certain materials are chosen, how process affects meaning, and how context changes the way we experience design

WORD COUNT : 419

For week 2, we were asked to choose a logo around school and imagine it as a person in real life. I chose the “Nightshift Bar” logo because it looks strong and visually striking compared to other logos. The owl symbol and dark color palette create a mysterious and powerful feeling, which immediately caught my attention.

If this logo became a person, I imagine she would be someone who feels more alive at night than during the day. She is confident, bold, and does not really care about what others think of her. She probably wears dark clothing and dramatic makeup, and enjoys city lights, music, and crowded places, but at the same time, she also likes to stay quiet and observe people. This shows how a visual identity can communicate personality and emotion.

It also reminds me of a nightlife aesthetic that I often see on social media and in real life, where people dress in dark outfits, go to bars, and take photos in low lighting. This aesthetic is not only about appearance, but also about a certain lifestyle and mood, such as confidence, independence, and a sense of mystery. This shows how design connects to real-life experiences and how people express their identity through visuals.

The owl symbol also suggests intelligence and awareness, since owls are known to be observant and active at night. This connects to the idea of interpretation, where people create meaning based on visual elements. The contrast between luxury and danger in the moodboard creates a sense of dissonance, making the character feel more complex and interesting.

From this exercise, I learned that design is not only about form and appearance, but also about communication and meaning. A logo can represent a lifestyle, personality, and emotions. As a design student, this helps me understand that my work should not only look good, but also express ideas clearly and connect with how people interpret visuals.

WORD COUNT :  258 words

In week 1, we learned about phenomenology. At first, I was confused because the term sounded very complex and unfamiliar. However, after the explanation, I started to understand that phenomenology is about how we experience things in our everyday life, not just how we see them, but also how we perceive and feel them. It focuses on lived experience, showing that meaning comes from how we interact with the world around us.

During the class, we were asked to observe our surroundings. At first, I didn’t know what to capture, so instead of taking photos, I chose to draw. I drew a young leaf, a green leaf, and a dry leaf. For me, the young leaf represents the beginning of life, the green leaf represents the present moment, and the dry leaf represents the passing of time. This connects to lived experience because we understand time through natural changes that we can see in everyday life. It also relates to perception, as we interpret these changes based on what we observe.

I also drew a corridor with a person standing inside. The corridor represent the path of time, when we look corridor, we cannot see clearly see where it begins or end. It feels like keep going, this is show how i see time. we ‘re always moving foward, even if we do not notice it. 

Lastly, I showed the transition from day to night. The movement of light and shadow shows how time is constantly changing. This relates to perception and lived experience, because lighting affects how we experience different moments throughout the day.

From this project, I learned that time is not just something measured by a clock, but something we experience through change, movement, and perception. Phenomenology teaches me to slow down and become more aware of my surroundings. As a design student, this is important because it helps me create work that connects with how people actually experience and feel things, not just how they look visually.

WORD COUNT : 273

I want to collaborate with Fine Arts students because their world feels fun, expressive, and full of experimentation. I’m someone who likes illustration and crafting, so working with people who explore textures, colours, and forms in such a free way would actually push me to try things outside my usual design comfort zone. If I were to work with them, I’d love to create illustration-based visuals for their artworks or design posters and small publications that capture their creative process. I also think it would be exciting to make collage or mixed-media graphics inspired by their projects, because mixing their artistic freedom with my design sense could create something more unique and meaningful.

For my final year project in Year 3, I’ve been thinking about creating a full drink-packaging brand from scratch. I want to design the logo, build the brand story, develop the illustration style, create a few flavour variations, and then bring everything together through mockups, simple photoshoots, and social media visuals. I feel like this kind of project really shows my abilities in branding, layout, illustration, and visual storytelling all at once.

I’m also open to joining any community that needs creative support. I don’t have a specific one in mind yet, but I want to help through the design skills I have. I can teach basic Photoshop to young people who want to get into the creative world, help them make posters or visual content for events, or refresh small branding for their groups. I just want them to have a space where they can express themselves, feel supported, and learn skills that might help them later.

After I graduate, I want to work as a Branding or Social Media Content Designer. I enjoy building visual identities, creating layouts, and coming up with visuals that tell a clear story. I feel like this career matches my personality and the skills I’m trying to grow right now.

WORD : 343

CRAFT

In this module, I learned so much about my creativity. I kept exploring and pushing myself until I finally found the ideas I wanted. While working on my craft project, I faced many challenges because I struggled to come up with ideas, and I often overthought things until I confused myself. However, I continued trying, fixing my mistakes, and improving step by step. This helped me grow and move forward instead of staying stuck and thinking too long about what I did wrong.

STUDIO

For the studio module, I experienced even more difficulties. I felt that coming up with ideas for studio work was harder, and I spent too much time just thinking, which caused me to run out of time. In this module, we worked a lot in groups. On the first day, I struggled to speak because I was afraid to share my thoughts and ideas about the tasks given by the lecturer. But my teammates helped me brainstorm, and my lecturer also encouraged me, which made me feel more confident.

DIGITAL

In this module, I didn’t receive too much criticism, but I still wasn’t satisfied with my results. I rushed the work, so I didn’t get the grade I wanted. In my designs, there were still many mistakes such as messy layouts, inconsistent placement, and lack of overall consistency.

PHOTOGRAPHY

In the photography module, I learned how to take photos that truly match the categories given by the lecturer. During the shooting process, I was confused at first about what I should photograph, but I kept trying until I understood.

WORD : 310

• How do you understand the Critical Thinking Skills module?Explain your choice of visual metaphor. Do you personally have an alternative visual metaphor?

• Which was your favorite activity or session? Why? Which aspects of it were memorable for you?

• What is the value of working in a group?

• What do you wish you did more of, or better?

For me, the Critical Thinking Skills module feels like learning to use a flashlight inside a maze. When everything around you feels confusing and full of mixed information, critical thinking becomes the light that helps you see things more clearly, choose what actually matters, and figure out which direction makes the most sense. Without that flashlight, I think I would easily get lost in assumptions or accept things without really questioning them. I also like to imagine critical thinking as a toolbox because different situations require different tools. Sometimes I need logic, sometimes comparison, sometimes observation, and sometimes I need to look at things from someone else’s perspective to understand the situation more deeply

One moment that helped me understand the module better was the big learning tree we created in class. Seeing all the branches on that tree made me realise how many different skills are connected to critical thinking. The section about facts and reliable sources showed me how important it is to check information before believing or using it. The branches about communication, conflict resolution, and collaboration reminded me that critical thinking is not just about thinking alone but also about how we express ideas, listen to others, and work together. The emotional intelligence and mindfulness parts taught me that thinking clearly also depends on being aware of our feelings and staying calm when making decisions. Even the digital media section made sense, because documenting our work is part of reflecting and understanding our own process.

Out of all the sessions, my favourite one was the case study discussion because it showed me how differently people can interpret the same situation. Listening to other perspectives helped me realise that my first opinion is sometimes incomplete, and I learned a lot by hearing how others approached the problem. Looking back, I wish I had asked more questions whenever I felt unsure and spoken up more instead of holding back. Overall, this module encouraged me to stay curious, be open to new ideas, and use all these different skills together to understand things in a deeper and more meaningful way.

WORD : 320

Growth Mindset

A growth mindset means being open to feedback, making adjustments, and continuously improving yourself. Unlike a fixed mindset, which avoids change and rejects constructive criticism, a growth mindset sees mistakes as opportunities to learn and adapt. It encourages you to stay curious, try new approaches, and view challenges as part of the learning process rather than obstacles that stop you.

Why It Matters

Having a growth mindset is important because it supports resilience, creative problem solving, and long term personal development. Resilience helps us face difficulties with a positive attitude, allowing setbacks to become valuable learning moments instead of failures. Creative problem-solving grows when we experiment with new strategies, explore different ideas, and take risks without fear of being wrong. Personal development is strengthened through continuous learning, embracing feedback, and being willing to change old habits. With a growth mindset, improvement becomes an ongoing journey rather than a final destination.

Class Activity ReflectionIn class, we were asked to take a logo and create 15 redesigns using our nondominant hand within 30 minutes. At first, the task felt overwhelming because of the time pressure and the challenge of drawing in a way that felt unfamiliar. Many of my early sketches looked uneven or messy, but I realized that neatness wasn’t the goal. The purpose of the activity was to explore as many ideas as possible in a short amount of time.As the activity continued, I shifted my focus from worrying about how many sketches I had completed to thinking more deeply about the design itself. This change in mindset helped me observe small details in the original logo and use them creatively in my redesigns. By the end of the task, I not only improved the quality of my ideas but also understood how a growth mindset can transform pressure and uncertainty into creativity and progress.

WORD : 254

By Carol Dweck, Stanford University | Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (2006) By American Psychological Association (APA) | The Power of Mindset in Learning and Growth (2023)

Emotional intelligence is basically about understanding and managing emotions both yours and other people’s. It has a few key parts: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, motivation, and social skills. Self-awareness means knowing how you feel and why, while self-regulation is about staying calm and handling situations without overreacting. Empathy helps you connect with other people and understand how they feel, and social skills make it easier to communicate and work well in a team. Motivation keeps you going even when things get tough. I think my strongest skill is empathy—I can usually sense how others feel and respond in a way that makes sense. The part I need to work on most is self-regulation because sometimes I react too quickly when I get frustrated.

In class, we did a group activity that really showed emotional intelligence in action. We acted out a critique scenario with roles randomly assigned: two students, one lecturer, and one disruptive student. The lecturer asked a literature question, and one student was about to answer, but the disruptive student jumped in with their own opinion, ignoring what others were saying. It was a bit chaotic, but it really made us notice how one person’s negative behavior can affect the whole group. It also showed why it’s important to manage emotions your own and the group’s so discussions can be fair and everyone has a chance to speak.

Watching this and participating made me think a lot about my own reactions and why self-regulation is so important. Even though I’m good at understanding others’ feelings, I realized I need to practice staying calm and handling tricky situations better. Overall, the activity was really useful for seeing how emotional intelligence works in real life and why it matters for teamwork and learning.

WORD : 270

Research Links: By MindTools Content Team | March 8, 2025 By Daniel Goleman | Emotional Intelligence (1995)

• Describe your strengths and weaknesses as a collaborator. Discuss with reference to today's activities, and in other classes.

If you had more time and an unlimited budget, how would you design the monument differently? Include pictures of the group work and your personal re-design.

In our second week at Lasalle, we focused on collaborative skills, which basically means learning how to work well with others. This includes solving problems as a team, sharing different perspectives, staying open-minded when ideas clash, negotiating when needed, and working toward one shared goal with roles that everyone understands.

Group Project Experience

For this week’s project, we were asked to design a monument that clearly reflects its theme. At first, it was honestly quite challenging because each group member had their own idea of what the monument should look like. Everyone had a different vision, and trying to combine all those ideas felt confusing at the beginning. But after discussing our thoughts openly, listening to one another, and comparing the strengths of each idea, we finally managed to align everything into one clear direction. Together, we created a final blueprint that represented everyone’s input.

Once the design was settled, we moved on to building the physical model. With the lecturer’s guidance and the materials provided, we tried to bring the concept to life as best as we could. Even though we worked together well, the model didn’t turn out as neat or detailed as we originally imagined. Some elements, like the trees we planned to include, didn’t look very clear because the materials were limited.

If we had more time and enough materials, we definitely would have made the model cleaner, more polished, and easier to understand. We would have improved the details and made the monument look more complete, especially the tree elements that didn’t really show up the way we intended. Overall, the process taught us a lot about teamwork, communication, and adjusting when things don’t go perfectly.

WORD : 268

Research Links: By Indeed Editorial Team | Updated May 10, 2024

WEEK 1 

(What a critical thinking skills?)

Critical thinking in the arts, the way Pooja Nansi explains it, isn’t just about making something that looks cool or creative. It’s about understanding what’s happening behind the scenes of your own process. Instead of creating just because “it looks nice,” artists are encouraged to ask themselves simple but important questions: Why am I making this? What experiences or biases are influencing my choices? Who am I hoping will see this, and how might they understand it?Asking things like this helps the work go deeper than just the surface and gives it real meaning.

Reflection and self-awareness are also a big part of it. Artists need to look back at their older work honestly what worked, what didn’t, and what they would do differently now. That honesty helps them grow and avoid repeating the same mistakes. Understanding the social, cultural, and historical context around their work is also important, because no artwork is created in isolation. Everything we make is shaped by the world we live in, whether we realize it or not.

Another key point is balancing technique with ideas. Yes, technical skill matters, but technique alone doesn’t make the work meaningful. Critical thinking helps make sure that the ideas behind the artwork are just as strong as the visuals. When those two aspects work together, the artwork becomes more powerful and engaging for the audience.

Finally, critical thinking encourages artists to take risks and make intentional choices. Instead of decorating or relying on chance, they explore new approaches, accept imperfections, and allow themselves to be vulnerable. This is what makes the creative process feel real and honest. In the end, critical thinking turns art-making into a process of questioning, reflecting, and truly communicating.

WORD : 286

Reference:Nansi, Pooja. Critical Thinking in the Arts.